Dynamics of alcohol-related losses of Russian population

Victoria G. Semyonova, Federal Public Health Institute, Moscow
Tamara P. Sabgayda, Federal Public Health Institute, Moscow
Natalia S. Gavrilova, University of Chicago

Alcohol-related losses of adult Russian population from external causes and mortality due to diseases of alcoholic etiology (somatic alcohol-related mortality) during the period of 2000-2009 were analyzed. Mortality from diseases of alcoholic etiology had reduced after extreme growth in 2000-2005; deaths from external alcohol-related causes had reduced after moderate growth of poisoning component in 2000-2002. In general, alcohol-related mortality of adult population increased for the total period of 2000-2009. The only group, for which mortality declined during the studied period (by 6.2%), were young men aged 20-39 years while mortality of young women increased by 30.2%, mortality of men and women aged 40-59 years increased by 0.1% and 8.3% and mortality of older men and women (60+ years) increased by 42.1% and 23.2% respectively. Mortality increase in all age-sex groups of Russian population was determined by increase of deaths from somatic alcohol-related causes rather than by increase of alcohol-related external deaths. Older men (60+ years) and young women (20-39 years) represent now the main risk groups for alcohol-related mortality. The pattern of alcohol-related mortality in Russia was subjected to fundamental changes: in 2000, this mortality was determined predominantly by alcohol poisoning, while in 2009, it became determined mainly by somatic alcohol-related diseases. Although mortality from alcohol cardiomyopathy remains the leading cause of somatic pathology, its contribution substantially decreased in all age groups with corresponding increase of mortality from alcohol liver disease. According to the official statistics, the total contribution of alcohol-related mortality to the total mortality of working population in Russia is now close to 10%. However, the real contribution of alcohol-related mortality is substantially higher. According to expert estimates, the contribution of alcohol component in the deaths of persons aged 20-59 years is about a third of male deaths and about a quarter of female deaths.